Tag Archives: avengers

Movie Review: Avengers: Infinity War (2018) *The End Begins* UPDATED

Robert Downey Jr. in Avengers: Infinity War

You are not ready. Avengers: Infinity War is the biggest, most epic superhero film ever made, and it’s also the hardest to review. Since literally everything about the film is a spoiler, my review is going to be brief, focus on a few, broad strokes, and direct you to your theater. This film needs to be seen on the big screen, and everyone who has been a part of this 10 years of the MCU should have a chance to see it without spoilers. That being said, the comments are the place to discuss spoilers so do NOT scroll down there if you do not want to immediately regret it. Is it everything you dreamed it would be? Hard to say. Does a lot of stuff happen? Absolutely. Is the MCU forever changed? Yes. Do you just need to go see it yourself asap before it gets spoiled for you? YES! Just be aware, that you are walking into part one of what is a two-part film (no matter what Marvel has said about this standing on its own). My theater’s reaction was stunned. You may have guessed some things, but not all of it, and you’re not ready. The stakes are real, and the dread pressaged in the trailers was warranted.

Continue reading Movie Review: Avengers: Infinity War (2018) *The End Begins* UPDATED

Infinity War Prep: Ranking All 18 MCU Films!!!

Avengers: Infinity War Poster 2
Avengers: Infinity War has premiered, and with ticket in hand for tomorrow, as the end begins, I thought it might be time to go back and rank the 18 films that have gotten us to this point.  Whatever your expectations for IW, it’s half a finale and I think when we go back and rewatch this first book of the MCU and the 22 films that make it up, we’ll watch it with Infinity War and next summer’s Avengers 4 as a back-to-back conclusion (click here for the chronological way to watch the MCU).


The MCU is the most profitable franchise in film history, and in 2020 it will pass the Bond franchise for the most installments.  Since Iron Man in 2008, the quality of the films has certainly wavered, but has been-overall-remarkably consistent.  If anything, the films are getting better and better as Marvel gets its characters more established and takes more risks in exploring new corners of the Marvel Universe and highlighting more diverse characters.  While I can find flaws in a number of the 18 films, I only have big problems with two of the entries and, once you get to a certain point, it’s really about splitting hairs as to which is the best.  Of the origin story films Black Panther, Guardians of the Galaxy and Iron Man are the best, but how do you balance that against films that have had the biggest payoffs in the whole saga like Winter Soldier, Civil War, Avengers, and Thor: Ragnarok?  In the end, this is just my preference; your list is just as valid.  Here is my MCU ranking #18 to #1 (subject to change in 24 hours). Continue reading Infinity War Prep: Ranking All 18 MCU Films!!!

My Favorite Scene: Avengers Age of Ultron (2015) *Who Is Worthy?*

For a number of reason, Age of Ultron got a lot of flak from MCU fans for, essentially, not being The Avengers.  The film had the thankless task of being a set-up film, masked as a climax film.  This is really Civil War Part One.  This is the inciting event whose consequences come home to roost in Captain America: Civil War.  But the film also had to introduce fractures into the team, introduce a slew of new characters, set up Phase 3 films, and still manage to tell the story of the Avengers fighting their biggest traditional foe.  I think it works very well in the larger context of the MCU, and would have just fine on its own had Disney not made one of its very few forays into meddling with the MCU.  They felt the film was too long (they have since made longer) and made director Joss Whedon choose between neutering Thor’s storyline, which was the thread connecting the film to the overarching Infinity Gems  plot, or cutting the entire sequence at the Barton farmhouse (not much of a choice because cutting that sequence breaks the film).  How did that work out?  AofU still made a bunch of bank, and angered director Joss Whedon is now directing Justice League and Batgirl for the DCEU. Continue reading My Favorite Scene: Avengers Age of Ultron (2015) *Who Is Worthy?*

Best of the MCU Super Cut Trailer


If you’re not following CLS Videos on YouTube, you’re missing out on some truly fantastic supercuts.  Today, in honor of Captain America: Civil War hitting stores, we offer up CLS’ supercut of the best of the MCU.  This seven minute trailer incorporates, I believe, every character in the MCU introduced to-date, including some from Doctor Strange (which won’t even open until November.  It’s a celebration of all Marvel Studios has done to create this shared cinematic universe and bring to the screen something Marvel fans have loved about the comics for decades. From Issue #1 (Iron Man) to the upcoming issue #14 (Dr. Strange), here’s the very best of the MCU.

Thor, Iron Man, Captain America, Marvel, Marvel Cinematic Universe, Marvel Studios

POLL Results: Best MCU Villain

August’s poll asked the question, “Who’s the best baddie so far?” when it comes to the 13 films and four TV series that have so far made up the Marvel Cinematic Universe.  Marvel bucked the established trend in comic movies before Iron Man, which was that the villain was the centerpiece of the film and the hero’s journey was shaped by their adversary.  Marvel’s films and series are very much hero-centric.  The readers had no doubt as to whom the top villain was.  Tom Hiddleston’s god of mischief was the star of Phase One of the MCU, and continued to expand his character in Phase Two, and I’m sure will have an impact in Phase Three both in Thor: Ragnarok, but in the Infinity War, as well. Continue reading POLL Results: Best MCU Villain